Courses & Requirements

Certificate Requirements

To complete the Graduate / Professional I&E Certificate, students take two electives, a required Business Fundamentals course, and a Narrative Design Seminar. Students must complete all courses by the time they graduate from their primary academic program. Read more about these requirements and exceptions below.

Electives

Choose two electives from the accordion list. Please note that not all electives are offered every semester. Review current I&E course offerings here. Special topics courses (course numbers typically ending in 90) change frequently in title and content. In order to ensure that a special topics elective choice meets the Certificate requirement, students must clear their selection with the I&E Certificate staff. 

I&E 800 – Business and Organizational Fundamentals for Entrepreneurial Action

This course is normally offered:

• Spring Semester (3 credits)
• Graduate Summer Academy (non-credit bearing)

Using entrepreneurship as a backdrop, this course provides a broad overview of business, including practical business fundamentals and theoretical frameworks for critical thinking. Students will experience the early stages of a typical startup, examine theoretical basis for startup success, understand managing and operating within an organization, and conduct a business analysis of competing companies.

The following students are exempt from taking I&E 800:

• MBA candidates
• Master of Engineering Management candidates
• Students who have taken MENG 570 Business Fundamentals for Engineers or BME 590 Business Fundamentals in MedTech
• Students who have taken both LAW 210 and LAW 540

I&E 745 – Narrative Design Seminar Series

This course is normally offered:

• Fall Semester (1 credit)
• Spring Semester (1 credit)
• Graduate Summer Academy (non-credit bearing)

The Narrative Design seminar complements the Certificate coursework by helping students learn to communicate why others should value their ideas and innovations. Students will focus on common principles of storytelling, as well as concepts from theorists to develop appreciation of narrative’s role and structure to facilitate understanding and incite action. Students will then work in small groups to workshop presentations to prepare for an end-of-semester group pitch event in which each student presents to the audience.

*I&E 745 is required for all I&E Graduate Certificate students, except those who take BIOETHIC 702 Communication for Scientists.

Program-Specific Tracks

•    Masters of Engineering Management Students
•    Occupational Therapy Students